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Monday, May 24, 2010

Review: Angel Star by Jennifer Murgia

Angel Star by Jennifer Murgia
Published by Lands Atlantic Publishing
Published on May 18, 2010
Review based on ARC (provided by Book It Forward Tours)Rating: 4.5 bookcases

Summary from Goodreads: Seventeen-year-old Teagan McNeel falls for captivating Garreth Adams and soon discovers that her crush has an eight-point star etched into the palm of his right hand-the mark of an angel.

But where there is light, dark follows, and she and Garreth suddenly find themselves vulnerable to a dark angel's malicious plan that could threaten not only her life, but the lives of everyone she knows, and now, she is torn between one angel's sacrifice and another angel's vicious ambition.

Divinely woven together, Angel Star takes readers on a reflective journey when one angel's sacrifice collides with another angel's vicious ambition in a way that is sure to have readers searching for their own willpower.

Angels seem to be the newest paranormal sensation and it’s easy to see why. They are beautiful, protective, powerful, sometimes snarky and sometimes gentle. The angels in this book fit this description perfectly; if all angels are like this, then more angels please!

Angel Star is the story of Teagan, a seemingly ordinary seventeen year old girl, and Garreth, the new boy who might just be something more than he seems. At first, parts of the beginning seemed very familiar, almost as though the reader could see Ms. Murgia’s inspirations. But as the story progressed it was clear that Angel Star is a unique story. I really liked that the story had two overlapping themes. The first was learning about and accepting your own special gifts. The second was the battle between good and evil or light and dark, and the acceptance that everyone has some of both. There were a few mentions of religious themes, but they were touched upon very broadly and integrated into the story so well that they were not jarring nor did they take away from the story.

What really stood out the most was how relatable Teagan was throughout the entire story. Even as she began to see how truly extraordinary she is and what her true purpose was, she remained relatable. Overall, Teagan’s story arc was wonderfully executed as she went from the girl who gets picked on by the popular group to learning about and accepting her inner strength. Garreth, as her protector, strikes the perfect balance of caring, strength and vulnerability. They complimented each other very well and it was clear they were meant to get to know each other. Together they were one of my favorite couples to read about and get to know.

The action really started when Hadrian came onto the scene. While there were small glimpses of Hadrian throughout the first half of the book, the reader learned about him through Teagan and Garreth’s discussions about him. He is quite the character - dark where Garreth is light, very confident and magnetic. It is easy to see that Teagan and Garreth will have their work cut out for them in the sequel.

Overall, I really enjoyed reading Angel Star. It will definitely be one of those books I will buy and reread several times.

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